MB: Aide may have put money in own account

SHAH ALAM: An aide who resigned after he was suspended for misconduct may have transferred funds solicited from private companies for Pakatan Rakyat’s 100th day in office celebrations into a personal bank account, said the menteri besar.
Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said the aide may have transferred the money to his own bank account under the guise of calling it a “PKR account”.

Abdul Khalid, at a press conference here yesterday, said the party was in the midst of determining if the account was a proper one belonging to the party.

The former aide to the menteri besar was also alleged to have written to various companies using the Selangor state government official letterhead for “donations” for the event.

The move particularly angered a Pakatan Rakyat component party, Pas, when the aide was found to have channelled the monies into a “PKR” bank account, all without Abdul Khalid’s knowledge.

It is understood that supporting documents of the bank account could not be found and that the aide was the only signee, not in accordance to the norm where bank accounts of organisations would have needed two signatories.

“We will get the money and channel it back into the state government account to be audited and then we will distribute it as agreed by the Pakatan Rakyat component parties,” Abdul Khalid said.

This is not the first time the aide had been implicated in a scandal. Earlier this month, he came under investigation for alleged “abuse of power” when claims surfaced that he had been awarding cleaning contracts to four companies.

“Since then, I have called for a meeting, stressing that all records must go through the MB. But he has not done so (when soliciting funds).”

Commenting on the aide’s call for him to resign, he said it was “normal and expected”.

“Like anyone who would be affected by the resignation, it is normal for them to make a call like that, especially if he is politically active.

“But (my resignation) is a question for the people and my party to decide. He’s only one member.”